Parents urged to make move on GCSE results day to get key benefit worth £1,354

PARENTS have been urged to take action on GSCE results day to get key benefit worth £1,354.

Thousands of students will nervously await their results this morning but parents should also be aware of an important move to make to avoid missing out on cash.

You need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions if your child is continuing in education[/caption]

If your child is aged 16-19 and continuing in education after they completed secondary school you need to extend their Child Benefit claim.

The benefit is worth up to £1,354 a year for the first or only child, and up to £897 per a year for each additional child. 

That works out at £26.05 per week for one child and £17.25 per week for each additional child.

But payments will automatically stop on August 31 or after your child has turned 16 unless parents renew their claim when their child is continuing in education.

That means parents of a child who is continuing in education have just shy of two weeks to tell HMRC or their payments will cease.

You can receive the cash boost up until their child is 19, and enrolled in an apprenticeship program or the following education schemes:

• A levels or similar, for example International Baccalaureate
• T levels
• Scottish Highers
• NVQs and most vocational qualifications up to level 3
• home education – if it started either before your child turned 16 or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs
• study programmes in England
• a pre-apprenticeship

It is also worth noting that your child must must be accepted onto the course before they turn 19.

What is child benefit?

You get child benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16 or under 20 if they are in approved education or training

The payment is used to help parents cover the costs of childcare.

It is paid at two weekly rates – £26.05 per week  for your eldest or only child and  £17.25 for any additional children.

Payments are usually made every four weeks, on a Monday or Tuesday, but sometimes are made weekly.

If you are claiming child benefit for a child under 12, you also receive National Insurance (NI) credits.

NICs count towards your State Pension so claiming the benefit can be useful if you are missing any.

The reason NICs are so important is because you need 35 NIC years to receive a full new State Pension.

You are considered a parent, or responsible for a child if you live with them and are paying at least the same amount as the Child Benefit rates to look after them – for example for food, clothes or pocket money.

It’s important to note that eligibility changes if a child goes into hospital or care and if your child starts to live with someone else.

More help for parents

Elsewhere, parents with children aged from nine months can now apply for free childcare hours.

From September, parents will be able to access up to 30 hours for children aged nine months up to four years old.

However, you must get also your application in by August 31 if you want to receive the funding by the start of the 2025/26 academic year.

You can apply for funding from September if your child turns nine months old between April 1 and August 31.

Registering for the scheme could help you save as much as £7,500 in childcare costs.